Indulge yourself into a slice of thick, rich and moist banana bread. Enjoy this easy to make quick bread that is full of flavor and always a family favorite!
Banana bread is a must make bread that is simple and so delicious! Making banana bread is so fun to do and adding in a few extra ingredients like this strawberry banana bread or blueberry banana bread only enhances quick bread to the fullest.
Award Winning Banana Bread
This recipe was submitted to me by one of my readers, Penny. She told me that I had to give it a try. I love the banana bread recipe that I have. It is just very heavy and cake-like. This recipe was lighter and more like bread. It was the awesome, and more like what you would expect in a banana bread. Penny told me that this recipe has been in her family for 30 years. She sent me a picture of the recipe card and it looked used and like it was 30 years old! This recipe is definitely a keeper. I am so glad that we have it for those over-ripe bananas!
Ever since Penny gave me the recipe card for this banana bread I haven’t been able to stop making it. It is for sure my go-to banana bread and I get raves about it every time I make it. It is so moist every time and seriously the easiest quick bread I have ever made. Mix it all together and place in a loaf pan for baking. It is literally that simple. Make this for a quick snack, breakfast morning meal or a side dish to any meal. Be ready to enjoy a thick piece of banana bread, just know, it won’t last long!
How Ripe Should Bananas be for Banana Bread?
Bananas are a beautiful yellow coloring on them at the grocery store. Once they start turning brown with small and large spots around them they will become softer. After another day or two the bananas will turn to a dark brown or black coloring. This is the perfect banana bread banana! If you are not ready to make banana bread quite yet with the ripe bananas, simply peel the bananas and place in a ziplock bag and freeze them. They can stay frozen for a month at a time. Now, you will always be ready to make delicious homemade banana bread.
Banana Bread Ingredients:
All Ingredients are pantry staple friendly and ready to go once your bananas are ripe enough. It is that simple and will become a favorite to make!
- Ripe Bananas: Make sure the bananas are at least spotted or a dark brown or black color. Mash them up with a fork.
- Baking Soda: This helps the bread rise as it is baking.
- Oil: Keeps the bread moist
- Sugar: Adds a bit of sweetness
- Eggs: Stability and structure
- Salt: Just a pinch
- All Purpose Flour: Thickens and adds the base of the bread “dough”
- Walnuts: Chopped and optional
How to Make Banana Bread from Scratch:
- Mix together with a spatula or wooden spoon (all ingredients) banana, baking soda, oil, sugar, eggs, salt and flour in a large mixing bowl.
- Fold in the chopped walnuts if using.
- Pour in a greased 9×5 loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
The Recipe Critic Pro Tip:
Mashing bananas is simple as using a hand mixer and beating on low then increasing to medium-high speed once the bananas are mashed down enough.
Variations and Substitutions:
- Butter: Salted butter will also work for this. Just leave out the pinch of salt.
- Sugar: If you love a little more sweetness, substitute white sugar for brown sugar or going healthier try coconut sugar.
- Bananas: Use frozen bananas by thawing them overnight at room temperature. If there is any liquid from the bananas, simply discard that before mashing in the recipe.
What Can You Add to Banana Bread?
This is the fun part! Mixing in dried fruit, nuts, or even spreading it with a layer of frosting. The options are endless and have so much flavor to each of them. Making this bread over and over again just create more ideas for enhancing flavor in each loaf.
- Chocolate chips: Who can resist chocolate! Chocolate chips can be sprinkled on top, in the batter or both!
- Nuts or seeds: I do love walnuts but pecans, sunflower seeds or pecans make for an added soft crunch.
- Dried fruit: Cranberries, blueberries, raisins or apricots change this banana bread into something fresh and fruity!
- Toppings after baked: Cream cheese frosting, maple syrup or just a simple slice of butter spread over top makes for a delicious snack.
How to Keep Banana Bread Moist:
You guessed it! This bread freezes SO well! It is meant to be a freezer bread for sure. There are a few options on how to store. Pick which one is best for your family, that is, if you have any left over bread! I tend to triple this recipe just so I have one loaf I am able to place in the freezer.
- Entire Loaf: Allow the bread to cool completely. Wrap the entire loaf tightly using plastic wrap or aluminum foil. I recommend going around about 2 to 3 times. Place the wrapped bread in a large freezer ziplock bag and lay in the freeze. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
- Slices: Once the bread is completely cooled, slice the loaf and individually wrap each slice with plastic wrap. Place each slice in a ziplock bag and lay flat in the freezer. When ready to eat, take out a slice at a time or the whole bag and place in the refrigerator or on the counter at room temperature. Once it is thawed, enjoy!
- Storing in pantry: This is an easy way of storing the bread that will be eaten quickly. Place the cooled bread in a ziplock bag or airtight container. Store in the pantry or counter at room temperature. Always keep the bread wrapped or stored when not eating. This will lock in the flavor and keep it moist.
More Flavorful Banana Bread Recipes:
- Cinnamon Swirl Cream Cheese Banana Bread
- Funfetti Banana Bread
- Coconut Banana Bread
- Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
- Cream Cheese Swirled Banana Zucchini Bread
Award Winning Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas mashed about 1 cup
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup oil
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs beaten
- pinch of salt
- 1 and 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
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Mix together with a spatula or wooden spoon (all ingredients) banana, baking soda, oil, sugar, eggs, salt and flour in a large mixing bowl.
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Fold in the chopped walnuts if using.
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Pour in a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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